1
as in strict
given to exacting standards of discipline and self-restraint
the army post's stern commander always had the utmost respect of those who served under him
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in gruff
harsh and threatening in manner or appearance
a stern receptionist took our names without even looking up
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of stern
Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 14 July 2025
According to the report, the Cuauhtémoc’s stern began to swing toward the Brooklyn Bridge.
—David Chiu, People.com, 1 July 2025
Valerie Mesa, People.com, 1 Sep. 2025
If Let’s Move was defined by the gentle nudges of a cool mom, the MAHA approach, on its surface, takes the stance of a stern dad.
—Tom Bartlett, The Atlantic, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stern
Adjective
The striped bass was about 10 feet off the fishermen boat’s stern and followed the head to the boat before casually drifting away, according to the shark sighting report on the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy’s Sharktivity app.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 14 July 2025
According to the report, the Cuauhtémoc’s stern began to swing toward the Brooklyn Bridge.
—David Chiu, People.com, 1 July 2025
Noun
Saturn, on the other hand, is stern, structured and pragmatic.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 1 Sep. 2025
If Let’s Move was defined by the gentle nudges of a cool mom, the MAHA approach, on its surface, takes the stance of a stern dad.
—Tom Bartlett, The Atlantic, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stern
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stern
Adjective
-
Without a strict hierarchy or single decision-maker, our process can sometimes be slow, messy, or even tiring.—
Caterina De Biasio,
Vogue,
11 Sep. 2025
-
At too many colleges, leaders have been reluctant to impose strict rules or harsh penalties for chatbot use, passing the buck to professors to come up with their own policies.—
Tyler Austin Harper,
The Atlantic,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Busta also received an assist from Papoose and Joyner Lucas, all of them sharing lyrical wordplay and seamless tradeoffs as Busta swung between his trademark dichotomy of rapping to gruff bellowing.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
8 Sep. 2025
-
The Old Man was short and gruff and had chin whiskers.—
Robert Easton,
Outdoor Life,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Never use your high-beam lights.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
6 Sep. 2025
-
These rooms include the trash compactor, Princess Leia’s prison cell and the tractor beam control room from A New Hope, and Emperor Palpatine’s throne room as seen in Return of the Jedi.—
Daniel S. Levine,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The once-beloved pastels will become harsh.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
6 Sep. 2025
-
The pilgrimage, listed on the official calendar of jubilee events, comes as gay Catholics look to Pope Leo XIV to continue down the bold path of his predecessor to welcome into the church a group that has in the past faced alienation and sometimes harsh treatment.—
Christopher Lamb,
CNN Money,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Despite fierce opposition to certain kids books by conservative activists, Maricopa County, which serves 144,000 library cardholders, received only 12 formal letters asking for reevaluation of library books and DVDs since 2021.—
Taylor Seely,
AZCentral.com,
8 Sep. 2025
-
In August, the discontent grew when a leak showed that the White House's forthcoming MAHA strategy report would sidestep tougher limits on pesticides and other agrochemicals, bowing to fierce industry pressure.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Tanks rumbled through Tiananmen Square, a location that offered a stark reminder of how authoritarian states can violently crush democratic movements.—
Elizabeth Shackelford,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
-
On Thursday morning, opposition party Vente Venezuela denounced the detention of Julio Velazco, a local activist involved with the campaign of Maria Corina Machado, the main opposition leader who is still in hiding after the authoritarian push that followed the election.—
Andrew Raine,
CNN Money,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
But in recent years, acts of brazen violence have been the grim drumbeat of a debased national politics.—
Eric Cortellessa,
Time,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Despite that progress, pancreatic cancer holds the grim record for having a survival rate of only 13% across five years – the lowest of all.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
That’s a tough dichotomy to bridge, but the new 2025 911 Carrera GTS achieves it brilliantly.—
Mark Phelan,
USA Today,
7 Sep. 2025
-
The tough stainless steel loops are reinforced and designed to remain rust-free even after years of use, and a three number combination lock will be easy to remember and difficult to crack.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stern.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stern. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share